1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to microorganism capable of producing a dextran which has biological activities such as an excellent antitumor activity, etc.; a method for producing said dextran using said microorganism or dextran synthetase prepared by said microorganism.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Methods for preparing antitumor polysaccharides using strains belonging to the genus Lactobacillus have already been disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 1-281073, 1-277484, 2-4714, etc. However, these are crude products such as cells, capsular polysaccharide or culture broth.
The prior art methods described above provide species of microorganisms which belong to the genus Lactobaccillus but are incapable of producing dextran. The present inventors have found that the dextrans produced by Lactobacillus confusus which is a species capable of producing a dextran have an antitumor activity. As a result of extensive investigations, a method for production thereof has been established and the present invention has thus come to be accomplished.